XP Mode Windows 7 basically refers to the running of a separate window of XP in your computer with Windows 7 operating system. Now this window would work exactly like a windows XP operating system. It is just that the OS is not actually installed on your computer and you would be viewing it in separate window on your screen. You would be able to add or delete files; run software and edit settings just like you do in a XP OS. Two great advantages that the feature provides are:
â€¢ It is a great way to work efficiently for those who are quite familiar with XP but are not able to adjust with the interface of Windows 7.
â€¢ There are a few applications as well which are not compatible in Windows 7 but runs well on XP. You can use XP mode Windows 7 to run the applications.
Any installation made using the window of XP would appear in the list of both XP and Windows 7 and is accessible from both.

Setting Up XP Mode Windows 7

For using the great benefits of XP Mode Windows 7, you would need to install two software programs on your computer. These include Windows Virtual PC Beta and Windows XP Mode Beta. The Windows Virtual PC Beta is basically visualization software that is meant to power the XP mode. After completing the installation, restart the computer to start using the mode.

Once the computer has restarted, click on the start button and run the item called Virtual Windows XP. You would be prompted to enter a password. Remember it for future use. The system will then set up Virtual Windows XP for first use which can take some time.
You might also receive a message which says that the hardware visualization is not enabled. You can turn on the feature by restarting the computer, entering the BIOS and making the necessary changes.

On the completion of the installation process, you would see a virtual XP window which would prompt you to add security software. You must add an antivirus as per your wish as the virtual XP window is nothing less than a normal operating system and needs protection. You can start installing software and applications just like you do normally. While installing, remember to make the applications available for all users. This means that the application icon would automatically appear under the Windows Virtual PC tab in windows 7 start menu.

Windows 7 Aero is a really popular default theme and a graphic user interface (GUI) as released by Microsoft along with the operating system. It is a powerful, efficient and esthetically pleasant theme.

Enabling Windows 7 Aero

While you install the operating system, Windows 7 Aero might not be automatically enabled. Based on your systemâ€™s experience index rating, the operating system automatically adjusts the effects related to Aero features. As per the compatibility of your machine, you might also have partial Aero effects working. This is because any more addition would hamper the performance of your computer. If this is the case and you feel that slight dip in performance would not hamper your work efficiency in any way, here is how you can enable Windows 7 Aero.
â€¢ Open Control Panel from the Start Menu.
â€¢ Go to the System tab in â€˜System and Securityâ€™ menu.
â€¢ Click on â€˜Advanced System Settings.â€™
â€¢ Click on â€˜Performance Settings.â€™
â€¢ Look under the visual effect tab. Here the option â€“ â€˜Let windows choose whatâ€™s best for my computerâ€™ would be checked by default.
â€¢ Look further below and you would see a list of Windows 7 Aero effects. Those which are enabled would be checked while others unchecked.
â€¢ Select the custom option before selecting all the effects as mentioned in the list below.
â€¢ Click on Apply and then OK once done.
â€¢ All the Windows 7 Aero effects would get enabled.
Some of the most popular Windows 7 Aero effects include Aero Peek, Aero Shake, Aero Snap and Aero Flip.

Disabling Windows 7 Aero

Excessively slow running computer is a major reason that may lead you to disabling the Windows 7 Aero effects. Here you have two options. First is to go back to the initial stage and let the computer decide which effects are compatible with your computerâ€™s configuration and would not affect performance in any way. All you need to do is to repeat the process mentioned above and select the option – â€˜Let windows choose whatâ€™s best for my computerâ€™ instead of custom. Click on Apply and then OK for settings to take effect.
Secondly, you can also disable the effects completely by using an entirely different method as below.
â€¢ Right click on the desktop to open the menu.
â€¢ Click on Personalize.
â€¢ A list of themes would appear. Scroll down and look for windows 7 basic theme. Click to activate. The Aero effects would get disabled.

Dual Boot Windows 7 refers to the process which allows you to install the operating system in your computer while there is another version already installed there. This is really helpful when you are quite comfortable with your existing operating system say Windows XP or Vista and want to try out Windows 7. By using the Dual Boot Windows 7 method, you would be able to install Windows 7 operating system without removing the already installed version. Once you have tried the option, you can remove the one with which you are less comfortable and content with.

The Process

Before starting the process, ensure that you have a copy of the operating system with you in a DVD. Then, follow the below steps

Hard Drive Partition

In case you have only one partition in your hard drive then you would need to create more in order to install Windows 7. This is because one partition can hold only one operating system. Now the way to create a partition depends on the current operating system you have in your computer. In case you are using Vista, there is an inbuilt tool which you can use while if you have XP, you would need to use third party software.
Create a new partition which has at least 16 GB of space available.

Install Windows 7

Concerning Dual Boot Windows 7, once you have created the partition, install a fresh copy of the operating system in the newly created space. Insert the disc in DVD ROM and restart the computer. The computer would boot by using the DVD. If it does not, select the boot from CD option in the BIOS.

Follow the simple instructions as they appear to install a copy of Windows 7. Remember to choose the custom (advanced) option when prompted to select. Also choose the partition drive carefully. In case you select the one which already has a version installed, the older one would be replaced by windows 7.

Wait for the entire process to be completed. Depending on your computerâ€™s configuration, it might take anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes.

Using the Operating System in Dual Boot Windows 7

Restart the computer once the installation is complete. You can select the operating system which you want to use to boot the system by using the arrow keys and pressing enter. You can also install more than two operating systems by using the same procedure as above.

There are certain things you need to know about safe mode Windows 7. Safe mode is a great troubleshooting option that helps in removal of any existing problem that may be hampering the speed and normal working of the computer. Only the most basic files and drives that are necessary to run the computer are used. The settings which are causing problems can be eliminated, and fresh ones implemented. In case you are not sure of the problem, the mode can also help you in finding it.
You might also come across a situation when your computer itself starts in Safe Mode. This means software or a program is preventing the computer to start in normal mode. If the problem is because of new software installed by you, the recovery option in the control panel can be used.

Starting Safe Mode Windows 7

Before starting safe mode Windows 7, you must remove all the floppy disks, CDâ€™s or DVDâ€™s that might be there in the computer. Once done, restart the computer. This can be done by clicking on start, shutdown and restart buttons in a sequence.
Press and hold the F8 key while your computer restarts. Ensure that the key is pressed before the appearance of the windows logo. In case the logo of windows appear before you were able to press the key, wait for computer to boot completely and repeat the entire process again. In case you have more than one operating system installed on the computer, you would need to select the windows 7 operating system by using the arrow key and pressing enter.

Now the advanced screen options would appear. Again use the arrow keys to select one of the safe mode windows 7 options and press enter. The computer would start in safe mode.

You can exit the safe mode by shutting down the computer and starting it again normally.

The Safe Mode Options

There are three different safe mode options present in the advanced screen settings for you to select from.
â€¢ Safe Mode
â€¢ Safe Mode with Networking
â€¢ Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Other than having the basic minimum services and drivers, safe mode with networking also use the network drivers and services. This means while using the computer in safe mode, you would have access to internet and other computers attached through the network.

Command Prompt Safe Mode

This mode is usually meant for the IT professionals or administrator who knows how to work in the command prompt. Instead of normal windows interface, an interpreter that works on the special commands is opened.

If you are running Windows 7 and you have a missing search box, open the control panel and click Programs; after that click on Turn Windows features on or off under Programs and Features and make sure that Windows search is checked.

Windows Update keeps your system up to date and turning the Windows Updates off can leave your machine at risk. However, if you really want to do that simply type Windows Update in the search box and then click on the Windows Update link.

When the Windows Update Control Panel window opens, click Change Settings and after that under Important Updates click on the drop-down menu and choose Never check for updates.

As already mentioned this might leave your computer at risk, so turn off the Automatic Updates only if necessary.

By default the taskbar is placed at the bottom of your screen and if you want to move it to the top or any of the sides, the first thing you need to do is to unlock it: right click on an empty space of your taskbar and make sure that Lock the taskbar option is not selected.

Now you can click on the taskbar, hold down the mouse key and drag the taskbar to the position of your choice â€“ top, left, right, or bottom.

Another way to achieve the same is to right click on an empty space on the taskbar and click Properties â€“ when the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window comes up, click on the drop-down menu right next to Taskbar location on screen and select one of the four positions â€“ Bottom, Right, Left, or Top.

If you get a security warning from AVG with the weird name runtime packed yoda, then you might be wondering if you should remove it or not. This warning simply means that AVG has found one (or more) files that have been packed with Yoda’s Protector, Windows packer and protector, and cannot read them in order to establish if they are a viable threat to your system or not.

Carefully examine the files that triggered the warning just to be double sure, but in most cases you have nothing to worry about!

If you want to take a screenshot of your computer desktop in Windows 7, you can use a little tool that Windows 7 comes with called Snipping Tool. Simply type snipping in your search box and the link to the tool will appear on your startup menu.

Launch the tool, click the drop-down menu and select the option that fits your needs and the screenshot will be taken immediately. After that you are presented with a few more option like saving the screenshot to a file, sending it via email, etc.

If you want a clean looking desktop you can easily hide the desktop icons in Windows 7. Simply right click on an empty space on your desktop, then click View and after that select or deselect Show desktop icons.

In order to change the background in Windows 7 right click on an empty space on your desktop and select Personalize. After that click Desktop Background, select the one that you like and click the Save Changes button.

If you hold down the control key you can select more than one background picture and choose how often your background picture changes from the drop-down menu and if you want the pictures shuffled.

If you are running a computer with Windows 7, installing the Windows XP Mode will allow you to run applications that were working fine on Windows XP, but are not compatible with Windows 7.

In order to install Windows XP Mode you need to be running Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate. The XP mode, in fact, requires two separate downloads and installation â€“ you need to download and install Windows XP mode and Windows Virtual PC.

Once installed, you can launch the Windows XO mode from the Start menu on Windows 7 and then install or run an application just like you would on a normal, physical computer.

How do I delete history in Internet Explorer?
How do I delete history in Firefox?

These are two very commonly asked questions and I will show you how to delete history in the latest (at the time of this writing) versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox.

How do I delete history in Internet Explorer 8?

Launch Internet Explorer 8 and click on Safety from the drop-down menu and then click on Delete Browsing History. When the Delete Browsing History window opens, select the desired options and click the Delete Button.

How do I delete history in Firefox 3.6.2?

Launch Firefox 3.6.2 and click Tools then Options. Open the Privacy tab and click on the Clear you recent history link. Once the new window opens select the desired options and the timeframe from the drop-down menu and then click the Clear now button.

When you navigate to your Documents and Settings folder in Windows 7 and try to inspect its contents, you are likely to encounter the following message:
C:\Documents and Settings is not accessible Access denied

Why is this happening? Well, just like with Vista, this folder is simply a â€œvirtual linkâ€ (or a symlink) and not a real folder. In Windows 7, you are most likely to find what you are looking for under the â€œUsersâ€ folder.

One of the great Windows 7 features is called Homegroup; it allows you to easily share files with other computers running Windows 7. Homegroup makes sharing your music, pictures, documents, files and USB-connected printers a breeze. As soon as you network your computers, you will be prompted to set Network location, once you select Home Network, the Homegroup wizard will let you create your Homegroup in a matter of minutes.

The Homegroups are password protected for better security and you can select which ones of your libraries to share: Pictures, Music, Videos, or Documents; you can share USB printers as well. Simply make your selections, finish the Wizard and thatâ€™s that.

Joining already created Homegroup is also pretty straightforward â€“ you just have to type in the Homegroup password and select the files that you wish to share.

After you have joined the Homegroup, you can add any file to the shared libraries and share them with other users; you can also make some or all of your files read-only, so other users can view them, but canâ€™t make any changes. The Homegroup will also appear in your Windows Explorer left pane, so you can access all the shared items with a few mouse clicks.

However, the Homegroup feature works only if all the networked computers run Windows 7; if any of your machines is running Windows XP or Vista, you can still network them and share your files and documents, but the process isnâ€™t as easy and requires more effort to set up.

Windows 7 is packing some new and exciting features, which will make your life easier and save you a lot of time and effort and below are listed the top five Windows 7 features that are available in all editions:

1. Windows 7 taskbar â€“ the new Windows taskbar is all about convenience. Many of us are so used to working with multiple windows that right up to now we had to close a dozen of them in order to find the one that we want to use. Well, not any more. The new Windows 7 taskbar lets you navigate through all your open windows just by hovering your mouse over their taskbar icons; and that is not all: if you have multiple tabs open in a program such as Internet Explorer, you can get a quick preview of all the open tubs â€“ hover your mouse over the IE icon and you will see thumbnails of each one of them.

Aero peek: hover over the thumbnail and the full-size window will come to the foreground, click on the thumbnail if you want to start working with that window.

Jump lists: right clicking on one of the active taskbar icons will present you with more options, specific to the particular application; right clicking on the Word icon will give you a quick access to your most recently edited documents, right clicking on the IE icon will give you quick access to your frequently visited sites, etc.

2. Windows 7 libraries â€“ the libraries let you organize similar files and the new part is that you donâ€™t have to move your files to the same folder, the files in a library can reside in different folders on your hard drive, but they are conveniently grouped in a library for an easy access. You can create new libraries or delete old ones, add and remove folders, and share your libraries with other users in your Windows 7 Home Group.

3. Start button search functionality â€“ this feature has been designed to save you a lot of time, no matter what you search for, try typing it in the start button search and you are likely to find it. This is an excellent way to access some not-so-easy-to-find Control Panel features; type â€œset timeâ€ in the search button field and you will get quick access to all the tasks that you might want to perform.

4. Aero snap â€“ another great feature that allows you to work with open windows easily. This is extremely useful when you want to compare or work with two documents side by side. Drag the one window to the left side of your screen, drag the second window to the right side of your screen and they will get automatically aligned next to each other, giving you perfect view of both windows.

5. Windows 7 homegroup â€“ extremely useful feature, providing that you have computers that run Windows 7; then you can easily create or join a homegroup and instantly share your documents, pictures, files and printers. Homegroups are password protected for better security and just like with the previous operating systems from Microsoft, you can make some or all of your shared files read-only so they donâ€™t get accidentally deleted or edited by other member of your homegroup.